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Oscar Hammerstein II: America's Poet Laureate

For many people, the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II are America. From the era of Reconstruction depicted in "Show Boat" to the settlement of Oklahoma territory in "Oklahoma!" to the naval battles of World War II in "South Pacific," Hammerstein's musicals represent our national history. As idealistic as he was about his native country, he also was not afraid to act as its social conscience, dealing with racism and social inequity. The lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein remain a childhood memory for millions of Americans that eventually became identified and interwoven with the moral fabric of America.

As an artist, Hammerstein was interested in the values that bound a community together. It is popular to bemoan Hammerstein's lack of sophistication, but it was a selective, artistic process that led Hammerstein to pare down his words - and ideas. He was interested in reaching a larger audience than the elite New York theatergoer.

A friend once stated, "Hammerstein was interested in writing for all 50 states." He succeeded brilliantly. His belief in the goodness of people, in their ability to rise above hatred and fear to achieve freedom and equality represented the best of his country's ideals. Hammerstein seemed predestined to enter the theater. Born into a New York theatrical dynasty, he studied law at Columbia University for a short while before the lure of the theater pulled him away. He soon embarked on a prolific series of musicals that placed him at the very top of his profession. With Jerome Kern, he wrote classic scores for "Music in the Air," "Three Sisters," "Very Warm For May," "Sweet Adeline" and what many consider the greatest musical of all, "Show Boat." Hammerstein's Collaborators during the 1920's and 1930's, Hammerstein's work with Kern, Romberg, Youmans, Gershwin and others solidified his standing as one of the greatest lyricists and librettists of the musical theater. His interest in the musical book led to cohesive dramatic plots and scores that served to forward the action and make commentary on the themes of the play. His constant experimentation with form and content still reverberate in the ground-breaking musicals written today by his protege, Stephen Sondheim.

In 1943, he teamed with Richard Rodgers to write the ground-breaking "Oklahoma!" After the phenomenal success of their first collaboration, Rodgers and Hammerstein went on to create some of the most beloved musicals in American history: "Carousel," "State Fair," "South Pacific," "The King and I" all seemed to burst from the same cross-pollination of musical comedy and operetta that made "Oklahoma!" a milestone in the evolution of the American musical theater. For many, a Hammerstein show was as American as Kansas in August and blueberry pie. This was no accident. Hammerstein's philosophy spilled over into his work, informing every piece with the same questions of community and individual responsibility. A constant fighter of injustice, he rallied against the House of Un-American Activities Committee and his interest in civil rights never ceased until his death in 1960. For all his "simplicity," he was not interested in writing platitudes on the greatness of American society. His examination of racism in "Show Boat" and "South Pacific," domestic violence in "Carousel" and slavery in "The King and I" are all examples of his willingness to engage his audiences in debate over the conscience of America and its ideals.

In many ways, Oscar Hammerstein II was our true Poet Laureate, as sentimental, self-critical and idealistic as America itself.